rollback

1 of 2

noun

roll·​back ˈrōl-ˌbak 

: the act or an instance of rolling back

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

roll back

2 of 2

verb

rolled back; rolling back; rolls back

transitive verb

1

: to reduce or decrease something

rolling back their mortgage rates

specifically : to reduce (something, such as a commodity price) to or toward a previous level on a national scale

2

: to cause to retreat or withdraw : push back

3

: rescind

attempted to roll back antipollution standards

Synonyms of rollback

Verb

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• set aside
• avoid
• strike down
• overturn

Examples of rollback in a Sentence

Noun

a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

a rollback in environmental regulations

a rollback of previous wage concessions

Verb

lobbyists for the industry pressured the legislators to roll back the new automotive safety standards

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The research most often cited to justify disclosure rollbacks concludes, in its own pages, that regulatory costs explain only a small fraction of the listing decline. —Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

The increase has continued as a result of Landry’s criminal justice rollbacks. —Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 22 May 2026

Verb

That level of activity may seem unusual for May, but experts say that, increasingly, that is no longer the case as climate change rolls back the start date of what’s traditionally been considered the peak fire season. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026

Companies have rolled back programs that support women and underrepresented employees while insisting that hiring and promotions should be based solely on performance and qualifications. —Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for rollback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback